Coupe
Senior Member
- Joined
- Jul 13, 2009
- Messages
- 152
- Reaction score
- 8
- Location
- Esher, Surrey
- Your Mercedes
- 2002 CLK 2.3K Convertible
Nightmare. Looked at plugs 1 and 2 a couple of days ago and yes needed replacing so ordered new 4 set. Plug no 1 was a little harder to push coil pack onto but didn't really think twice about it. Car drove fine.
Today came to take old plugs out and on no 1 spark plug socket just kept spinning. Strange. Checked socket with one of the new plugs and yes correct size. Panic thoughts, stuck, stripped thread - what else. Stepped back and noticed the new plug wasn't snuggly held in the socket by any rubber - the rubber was missing. Guess where it was. On no 1 plug and securely stuck in the hole. Ok push spanner down and it should connect - no - probably made it worse! Pretty tight down there. After much head scratching managed to get small screwdriver down and loosen rubber, eventually to a point where I could spin it around. Managed to dislodge enough on the top to get some very narrow pliers down and slowly pull the rubber out! Took about an hour.
Gap on old plugs was near 1.8mm and not 1mm. as they should be. Used Bosch FRZKPP33U+ same as the old ones.
All back in and fine. Socket was Halfords professional tool (which I have found very good) but about 10 years old and possibly the rubber had perished enough to come loose and hence the problem.
So advice is to make sure your rubber doesn't come away before you start or you could have as much fun as me!
Hope this helps someone.
Today came to take old plugs out and on no 1 spark plug socket just kept spinning. Strange. Checked socket with one of the new plugs and yes correct size. Panic thoughts, stuck, stripped thread - what else. Stepped back and noticed the new plug wasn't snuggly held in the socket by any rubber - the rubber was missing. Guess where it was. On no 1 plug and securely stuck in the hole. Ok push spanner down and it should connect - no - probably made it worse! Pretty tight down there. After much head scratching managed to get small screwdriver down and loosen rubber, eventually to a point where I could spin it around. Managed to dislodge enough on the top to get some very narrow pliers down and slowly pull the rubber out! Took about an hour.
Gap on old plugs was near 1.8mm and not 1mm. as they should be. Used Bosch FRZKPP33U+ same as the old ones.
All back in and fine. Socket was Halfords professional tool (which I have found very good) but about 10 years old and possibly the rubber had perished enough to come loose and hence the problem.
So advice is to make sure your rubber doesn't come away before you start or you could have as much fun as me!
Hope this helps someone.
